You Will Lose Everything

1
The Bright familys real heiress had a strange quirk: she acted like a baby.
She ate from a baby bowl, slept in a cradle, and needed a stroller to go out. She had our prestigious law firm redecorated as a nurserycafeteria served purees and rice cereal, clients coffee swapped for hand-mixed formula.
Grown-ups are yucky, shed say. We need to purify the world with childlike innocence!
Wracked with guilt over losing her as a child, my parents catered to her every whim. Even my fianc Bruce urged me: Eloise, you had her life for twenty years. Cant you be more tolerant?
On the final hearing of the firms biggest case, the entire court waited for her to wake from her baby nap.
The judge fumed. I stepped up to take her place.
With a brilliant defense, I saved our client $300 million and earned a partnership. Humiliated, the heiress drank on the rooftop, fell, and died.
My parents and Bruce blamed me: You snatch everything! It was a guaranteed win, yet you stole it!
They tied me to a chair and brought in my case losers. One by one, they took revengeone knife per verdict. I died in hatred.
When I opened my eyes, I was back on the day she demanded the case.
This time, I walked straight into the opposing firm.
You want a guaranteed win? Ill make you lose it all.
"Eloise, sis, pretty please let Baby have the case?"
The cloying, saccharine voice grated on my ears. Vivi Bright, dressed in a custom-made pink onesie, was practically hanging off my fianc, Bruce.
She pouted, her childish pigtails whipping against his arm. "Baby wants to try the Hawke Industries case!"
Bruce looked at me, his face a mask of weary apology. "Eloise, Vivi's new to the firm. She needs a confidence boost. You have so many cases on your plate... why not let her take this one for practice?"
His gaze was as gentle as ever, but an involuntary shiver ran down my spine. In my past life, it was Bruce who drove the final knife into my heart.
"Eloise Bright," he had hissed, his eyes colder and more alien than I had ever seen them. "You owe Vivi a life!"
Seeing my silence now, my father, holding a baby bottle, scowled. "You enjoyed twenty years of her life. Are you really going to fight her over a small, open-and-shut case like this?"
Small case? I laughed internally.
Hawke Industries was accused of commercial fraud, with three hundred million dollars on the line. The prosecution had a rock-solid chain of evidence. It was an ironclad case. I had pulled fifteen all-nighters, sifting through thousands of pages of documents, to find the one single loophole that could turn it all around.
That "guaranteed win" was bought with my blood and sweat.
I suppressed the storm raging inside me, my voice frighteningly calm. "Fine. The case is hers."
The tension in the room instantly evaporated. Vivi cheered and planted a loud, wet kiss on Bruce's cheek. "Yay! Now I can stand in court with my favorite Bruce!"
He stiffened, glancing at me in a panic. "Eloise, don't get the wrong idea. Vivi just has the mindset of a child. She's like that with everyone she likes. It doesn't mean anything."
He'd used the same explanation in our last life, even scolding me for projecting my "filthy adult thoughts" onto an innocent baby. But I'd never seen Vivi kiss anyone else. Only Bruce. And always, always, when I was there to see it.
I curved my lips into a faint smile. "I understand. Since Vivi is taking the case, I'll step down. I'll get all the relevant materials organized for her."
"Wait," my father called out from behind me. "You've been on this case for a long time, and you have the courtroom experience. You'll be Vivi's assistant on this one. It will be a glorious moment for the Bright family when you two sisters win this together!"
He left the other half of his sentence unsaid: and if you lose, you'll be the sacrifice we offer to Gideon Hawke to appease his anger.
Seeing me lower my head in silent agreement, his expression softened. He walked over and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry, Eloise. We'll be fair to both of you. We won't play favorites."
In my past life, that empty promise had moved me to tears. I had been so desperate for their approval, even knowing they only adopted me because my eyes held a faint resemblance to their lost daughter. The moment Vivi returned, they looked at me with nothing but disgust and contempt, as if I were a cheap counterfeit.
Vivi's sticky voice broke through my reverie. "Bruce, which lawyer's robe should Baby wear? The pink one with the little lambs, or the blue one with the little stars?"
Bruce stroked her head dotingly. "No matter what you wear, our Vivi will be the most dazzling star in the room."
He used to say that to me. After a victory, he would ruffle my hair and whisper, "My Eloise, always so dazzling."
Now that word, along with the people I once considered my family and my love, all belonged to Vivi.
I waited downstairs at the firm for a long time before Bruce and Vivi finally appeared. Her outfit today was even more absurd: a dinosaur onesie. She bounced and bobbed her head all the way to the car and expertly climbed into the passenger seat.
That's when I noticed it. Bruce's Mercedes now had a pink child safety seat installed in the front. The clicks of the five-point harness echoed as he buckled her in. He was practiced, clearly not his first time.
He caught my gaze and explained, looking uncomfortable, "Vivi says she gets scared in the car. A safety seat offers better protection"
Vivi waved her fists in protest. "Baby's not scared! Baby just values her life!"
I turned to look out the window, completely indifferent.
Mr. Hawke was already waiting for us in the conference room. His eyes, deep as pools of ink, swept past Bruce and me, finally landing on Vivi. His brow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Bruce bowed slightly. "Mr. Hawke, this is the lead counsel our firm has assigned to your case, Ms. Vivi Bright."
Hawke's expression remained unchanged. He extended a hand.
Vivi leaped backward. "Strangers are icky! Baby is clean. Baby doesn't touch strangers!"
The air froze. The secretary at the door looked like she had swallowed a fly. Bruce's face went white. He scrambled to smooth things over. "Mr. Hawke, I apologize. Vivi is very pure-hearted. She likes to joke around."
Hawke slowly retracted his hand. His face betrayed no emotion, but the atmospheric pressure in the room dropped several degrees.
I stood silently to the side, watching. Gideon Hawke. His ruthless reputation was legendary. Rumor had it he'd spent his early years in gray areas, with a past he didn't talk about. He was not the kind of man who would play house with a "baby."
Feeling Hawke's hostile gaze, Bruce pressed on. "Vivi is the sole daughter of the Bright family. She may be eccentric, but she's a legal prodigy. She scored first in the state on the bar exam."
Vivi propped her chin on her hands, blinking exaggeratedly. "Uncle Gideon, Baby looked at your case. It's super easy! The other side is a bunch of big meanies. Baby will definitely win and make them cry!"
Hawke's brow furrowed. He turned to me. "Eloise Bright. You were handling my case before." His voice was dark, laced with suppressed fury. "Are you certain this woman is competent?"
My expression was calm. After a moment of silence, I turned to Vivi and spoke with grave formality. "Vivi, the Hawke case involves a three-hundred-million-dollar settlement. More importantly, it involves the future of the Bright law firm. Are you sure you want to take this on?"
Her face changed. The feigned cuteness twisted into a mask of resentment. "What are you trying to say, sis? Do you think Baby is going to lose? Baby is super smart!" She stomped her foot, the tail of her dinosaur onesie wagging behind her.
Bruce rushed to placate her while desperately explaining to Hawke, "Mr. Hawke, Eloise has been a bit emotional since Vivi came back. Vivi's abilities are absolutely not in question!"
Gideon Hawke's gaze shifted between the three of us. Finally, he spoke, his voice flat. "I'm not interested in your family drama. I only care about results. Win this case, and your firm will be at the top of the food chain in this city. Lose it" He paused, his eyes glinting like polished steel. "And for three hundred million dollars, I don't mind sending you all a funeral wreath."
We were politely "escorted" out.
The moment we were back in the car, Vivi's lower lip trembled, and tears began to stream down her face. "He was mean to Baby! He scared Baby!"
Bruce fumbled to wipe her tears, pulling a lollipop from the pocket of his tailored suit.
I opened my car door and stepped out.
"Where are you going?" Bruce yelled after me.
I stood by the curb, hailing a cab. "I'm going back to organize the case files for Vivi."
"You could at least try to be nicer! Can't you see Vivi's crying?"
A taxi pulled up in front of me. I smiled. "Calming the baby is your job. My job is to make sure the baby doesn't die too ugly a death."
The car door slammed shut, cutting off Vivi's sobs and the sight of Bruce's furious face.
The taxi wasn't as fast as the Mercedes. By the time I arrived at the firm, Vivi was already buried in our mother's arms, wailing.
"Mommy everyone was bullying Baby Uncle Gideon was mean to me, and Eloise was mean to me too" She let out a hiccup and then spat up a mouthful of milk.
My mother's heart broke for her. She patted Vivi's back while glaring at me. "Eloise Bright! What did you do now?"
Bruce quickly tried to intervene. "Auntie, it's a misunderstanding. Eloise was just"
I cut him off calmly. "I just told her the case was important and that she should be careful."
SMACK!
The slap stung my cheek, leaving a fiery pain. My ears were ringing, but I could still hear my father's enraged voice.
"We raised you for twenty years so you could threaten Vivi like this? You really think you're something special, don't you? Without the Bright family, you'd be rotting in a ditch somewhere! Get out! Get out of my sight! As of today, the Bright family has no one like you!"
I was thrown out by security. My office supplies were tossed into a box and dumped on the curb, spilling everywhere. I silently began to pick them up. Bruce hurried over, hissing in a low voice, "Eloise, stop this. Just apologize to them. I'll help you plead your case."
I looked at him. The man I had loved with all my heart. He had said nothing while I was being hit. Now he was telling me to "apologize and admit I was wrong."
My fingers brushed against something cold. It was the family portrait from my desk. After a brief pause, I tossed it into a nearby trash can.
An hour later, I was sitting in Ethan Cole's office, meeting his inquisitive gaze head-on. "The Hawke Industries fraud case. I want to be the counsel for your plaintiff."
He was stunned for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "Why?"
My voice was ice, devoid of any emotion. "Because Hawke is going to lose, and I don't want it to affect my win rate."
His brow furrowed slightly. He tapped his fingers on the desk, then suddenly asked, "What happened to your face?"
"I was slapped."
"By who?"
"Mr. Bright."
He raised an eyebrow. "Your adoptive father?"
My face was a blank mask. "My former adoptive father."
Ethan chuckled and shook his head. "That man is really losing his touch..." He sobered, his expression serious. "Are you sure you want this case? It means going head-to-head with the Bright family, with Hawke Industries, and with your fianc. There's no turning back."
I looked out the window. The sky was gray, but my mind was crystal clear. "I never look back."
Ethan smiled and extended his hand. "Welcome to the battlefield."
A week later, when I appeared outside the third courtroom of the district court, my former parents were sitting in the front row. Bruce stood beside them, constantly checking his watch, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
The defense counsel's seat was empty. Vivi hadn't arrived yet.
The judge was already seated, reviewing the case files. The court clerk kept glancing at the door, her expression growing impatient.
Seeing me, my adoptive parents both frowned. My father practically lunged at me, hissing through his teeth, "What are you doing here? You're not a lawyer with my firm anymore. Still can't let it go?"
I looked at his furious expression and answered calmly, "I'm here to observe."
He was about to say more when the judge's voice cut him off. "Is the defendant's counsel not present?"
It was 2:05 PM. The hearing was already five minutes late. "We will wait another five minutes. If counsel does not arrive, they will be considered to have forfeited their right to defense."
More sweat beaded on Bruce's forehead. Gideon Hawke's stare was making him squirm. He stood up, bowed slightly to the judge, and explained cautiously, "Your Honor, Ms. Vivi Bright may be stuck in traffic. We request the court's understanding"
Before he could finish, the judge interrupted coldly, "Traffic is not an excuse. This court has rules."
The minutes ticked by. Just as the five-minute extension was about to end, Bruce couldn't take it anymore. He stood up and addressed the judge. "We request to change our defense counsel!"
His eyes shot to the gallery, and he pointed at me. "Ms. Eloise Bright is also an excellent lawyer at our firm. She can take over the defense!"
All eyes turned to me. My former parents looked at me, a hint of desperation in their eyes.
The judge pushed up his glasses. "Ms. Eloise Bright, are you willing to take over the defense?"
I ignored Bruce's silent plea and spoke slowly. "I cannot."
"I was fired from the firm a week ago."
"Eloise!" Bruce cried out, his voice cracking. "This isn't the time to throw a tantrum! The firing was just talk. You can come back anytime!"
I calmly shook my head. "I'm not throwing a tantrum. I simply cannot..."
My father stood up, his voice sharp with accusation. "So this was your plan all along! Now you're just putting on a show!"
"Order!" The judge's gavel came down with a sharp crack. "Maintain order in the court!"
Bruce glared at me like a cornered animal, but before he could speak, Vivi's high-pitched voice echoed from the doorway.
"Baby's here! Baby's here!"
My father shot me a triumphant glare, as if to say, See? We gave you a chance and you blew it.
But in the next second, the courtroom fell into a dead silence.
A giant baby walker appeared in the doorway.
Vivi, dressed in a frilly doll dress and a fluffy sleeping cap, was gripping the handlebar of the walker, taking shaky, toddling steps into the room. The only sound in the silent court was the whirr-click of the wheels. A terrified-looking assistant followed her, carrying a diaper bag overflowing with a baby bottle, diapers, and pacifiers.
Everyone was speechless.
Even the judge forgot to bang his gavel, his mouth hanging open as the pink walker wobbled its way to the defense table.
Vivi took the pacifier out of her mouth, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "Baby didn't even get to finish her nap. Why did we have to start so early?"
The judge, who had likely never witnessed such a farce in his entire career, turned to Bruce, his voice trembling slightly. "Are you certain this is your defense attorney?"
Bruce looked at Vivi, who was now struggling to climb into her chair, and a doting smile touched his lips. "Your Honor, please rest assured. Our lawyer's professional capabilities are beyond question. As for her personal habits and quirks, I believe those are not the standard by which we should judge a person."
The judge's mouth twitched. After a long moment, he shook his head in defeat. "Very well. Court is now in session."
The gavel struck. "The plaintiff may now state their claim."
I picked up my files and, under the astonished gaze of everyone in the room, walked to the plaintiff's table.
"Your Honor, members of the court." My voice was clear and steady. "I am the legal counsel for the plaintiff, Eloise Bright."
CRASH!
Bruce's chair clattered to the floor.

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